SUPERMARKET chain Asda has announced it will take over 18 Netto stores in South Yorkshire, nearly nine months after it bought the company in a £778 million deal.

In Rotherham stores at Parkgate and Wath-upon-Dearne will be converted.

In Barnsley stores in Goldthorpe, Grimethorpe, Royston, Thurnscoe and Worsbrough will get the Asda branding, and in Doncaster so will shops at Balby, Conisbrough, Edlington, Rossington, Stainforth and Wheatley.

Asda has also secured buyers for the Lane Top Netto store in Sheffield, one in central Rotherham, and Nettos in Athersley, Lundwood and Monk Bretton in Barnsley, and Armthorpe and Carcroft in Doncaster.

The company says it has found buyers for a further seven Netto stores which will not be Asdas.

The announcement comes after the Office for Fair Trading agreed Asda could move to the next stage of the transfer process.

It had said the chain had to find buyers for the stores it did not want before it could continue with the deal.

Asda bosses have pledged to double the number of jobs in each converted store, creating dozens of new roles across the county.

What do you think? Add your comment below.

Follow The Star on Twitter and Facebook:

For breaking news and sport follow The Star on Twitter at www.twitter.com/sheffieldstar and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sheffieldstar .